Liposuction Surgery: How It Works and What to Expect Part 1

When you arrive on the day of your surgery, you’ll check in with the nursing staff. You will likely be asked to fill out some paperwork, and you’ll be asked to confirm your identity, so bring a photo ID in case it’s required. Please take some time to read the surgical consent form before you sign it. Although it looks like a fine-print formality, its purpose is to inform you about the risks you’re about to undertake.

To prepare for surgery, you’ll be asked to change into a gown, go to the bathroom, and remove any contact lenses, dentures, or similar items you may be wearing.

You will meet with your surgeon before surgery begins. At this time, your surgeon will make drawings or markings on your skin, which serve as guidelines during the liposuction procedure. For instance, your doctor may mark areas of irregularity or sites to pay particular attention. Your doctor may also make circles or ovals to target certain fat deposits for removal. These markings are usually done with a non-toxic pen or marker. You may still be able to see these marks after the surgery, but they will eventually be washed away with soap and water.

The nursing staff will also insert an IV for the anesthesia and to give you antibiotics, as part of the preparation process. Rarely will they wait to do this until you’re in the operating room.

Once you’re in the operating room, the staff will ready you for surgery. The surgical team may place sterile fabric on or around parts of your body that the surgeon is not working on. The anesthesia team will administer medications to relax you and have you drift off to sleep. As it begins to take effect, the staff may ask you to describe how you’re feeling. This provides the anesthetist or anesthesia doctor with additional feedback on how the anesthesia is working.

For some kinds of liposuction, you may have local anesthesia. If that’s the case, you will not be able to feel the procedure itself, but you will be awake during the procedure. If the thought of being awake–even with a local anesthetic–makes you nervous, talk to your surgeon beforehand, about providing a mild sedative to help you stay calm.